Advertise on podcast: Beyond the Cycle: Conversations on Womanhood, Health & Justice

In this episode of Beyond the Cycle, I speak with Analisa Lundberg, Program and Outreach Manager at the Austin Diaper Bank’s Bright Spots Program. Analisa shares insight into the current landscape of period poverty in Central Texas and discusses the critical gap in access to menstrual products that many individuals face. We explore how the Bright Spots Program works to address these disparities by providing period products and partnering with community organizations to ensure people can access the essentials they need. Analisa also discusses the broader impact of period poverty on health, dignity, and economic stability, and how community-driven solutions are helping close the gap.

In this episode, I’m joined by Roba Abousaway, a fourth year medical student at University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, to break down the four phases of the menstrual cycle and what’s really happening inside the body during each one. We talk about how women can biohack their lives from energy and productivity to movement and rest by syncing with their cycle, and how breastfeeding and contraception can shape (or disrupt) that rhythm. This episode offers practical, science-backed insight to help women better understand and work with their bodies, not against them.

In this episode, I sit down with Jasmine Douglas , a wife, mother, and doula , for an honest conversation about perinatal care beyond the traditional medical system. She shares what that journey has looked like for her personally, how motherhood reshaped her professional priorities, and how her work supports families in building empowered, informed birth experiences. We also explore the mission and services of Black Mamas ATX and the vital role they play in supporting Black mothers and families in the Austin community.

In this episode, I reintroduce Women's Relief Initiative's founding story and mission as well as properly introduce myself, your host, Fatoumata Diallo.

Welcome back to Women's Relief Initiative's podcast, Beyond the Cycle. In our trailer episode, you will hear about what we have in store for you in our upcoming episodes.

The women of Women's Relief Initiative (WRI) learn about how the men of WRI were first introduced to menstruation. We talk about what role do men play in breaking the silence on the topic of period.

Because most institutions in our society have been built to only accommodate for male needs, we need political activism to change the systemic sexism. In this podcast, we talk with Anagha Kikkeri, Vice President of UT Austin Student Government, and Hailey Volk, Co-president of Operation Period at the University of Oregon, who have taken initiative to work with their college institutions to improve access to menstrual products. They talk about how we should hold schools and universities accountable to consider menstrual aid as essential (like toilet paper) and a basic student need.

In this podcast, we are highlighting a conversation from our instagram live session with Barakah Sahaiel. Barakah is a Midwife and Public Health Nutrition Educator who shares her experience and knowledge about how nutrition can improve one's menstruation symptoms with our host Fatoumata Diallo. It has been one of the most informative and value-added conversations which makes it a must-listen-to podcast episode.

In this podcast, we wanted to draw a connection between race and menstrual inequity. We realized, especially over the past few months, that there are a lot of misconceptions out there about race and racism and the pervasiveness of its impacts on ALL aspects of people’s lives. And we also realized that, in addition to what we’ve been reading and learning, we still have a lot to learn.

Episode 2 highlights period products. The women of W.R.I talk about various products that are out there, their personal favorites, advantages and disadvantages about the different types, and taboos around specific products like tampons.

Code Red is here! Episode 1 highlights the first period stories of the women of WRI. A big goal of our initiative is to normalize conversations about menstruation. Comment your personal opinions…DM us your own stories…HAVE THE CONVERSATION!